homunculus

[ huh-muhng-kyuh-luh s, hoh- ]
/ həˈmʌŋ kyə ləs, hoʊ- /

noun, plural ho·mun·cu·li [huh-muhng-kyuh-lahy, hoh-] /həˈmʌŋ kyəˌlaɪ, hoʊ-/.

an artificially made dwarf, supposedly produced in a flask by an alchemist.
a fully formed, miniature human body believed, according to some medical theories of the 16th and 17th centuries, to be contained in the spermatozoon.
a diminutive human being.
the human fetus.

Origin of homunculus

1650–60; < Latin, equivalent to homun- (variant of homin-, stem of homō man; see Homo) + -culus -cule1

OTHER WORDS FROM homunculus

ho·mun·cu·lar, adjective

Words nearby homunculus

homozygosity, homozygote, homozygous, homozygous by descent, homs, homunculus, homy, homyel', hon, hon., hon. sec.

British Dictionary definitions for homuncular

homunculus
/ (hɒˈmʌŋkjʊləs) /

noun plural -li (-ˌlaɪ)

a miniature man; midget
(in early biological theory) a fully-formed miniature human being existing in a spermatozoon or egg
Former name: homuncule ( həʊˈmʌŋkjuːl)

Derived forms of homunculus

homuncular, adjective

Word Origin for homunculus

C17: from Latin, diminutive of homo man

Medical definitions for homuncular

homunculus
[ hō-mŭng′kyə-ləs, hə- ]

n. pl. ho•mun•cu•li (-lī′)

A diminutive human.
A miniature, fully formed individual which adherents of the early biological theory of preformation believed to be present in the sperm cell.